


Coming Out With Toby

by DarkenedHeart



Series: Toby [4]
Category: Scorpion (TV 2014)
Genre: "It Isn't the Fall That Kills You", Fluffy Ending, Fourth-Shot, Kissing, M/M, OOC, S03E06, Telling the Others (Sort of), Walter POV, Walter's Continued Patience, canon references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-23 09:17:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9649445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkenedHeart/pseuds/DarkenedHeart
Summary: This piece/addition relies on Canon without quoting it fully. If you haven't seen the episode, I'm not sure if it will make any sense... Also, I couldn't come up with a good summary, so the below is all I have for an explanation...Excerpt:"I can't believe it took until my boyfriend was shot into the atmosphere for me to get my head wrapped around the fact that I'm in love with you," Toby tells me, and suddenly, there is no pain. Though the swelling in my throat has increased.





	

I wake alone and perform my regular routine while mentally going over my 'pros and cons' list. When I had discussed coming out to the team again to Toby, he had asked me to come up with reasons for such an action. Although I understand my lover's hesitance, I do not wish for the others to come across the information by another person. Cabe, particularly, should hear the news from me, not Happy or Paige.

I smile as I take the steps into the garage, adding another two points to the 'pros' part of the list as I go. Sylvester and Toby are walking in at the same time. My lover doesn't look amused with whatever it is Sylvester is talking to him about.

"You can't disavow its advantages if you don't try it first," Sylvester points out as they come into haring range.

"You can disavow anything without participation depending on the parameters," I point out, looking between the two. "What are we talking about?"

"Dr. Dodd here, thinks I'm stressed and need to relax," Toby explains to me as he lifts his eyes towards the ceiling.

Sylvester undoubtedly noticed a change in the team's dynamics, but without being told what they are, he is assuming it is a negative thing. 

"Perhaps we could tell him something to dissuade such an assumption?" I suggest to Toby, looking at him with a look to convey my double meaning of letting Sylvester in on the secret.

"I don't think there's anything to say, at the moment," Toby returns with enough of a head shake for me to get the answer. He's still not ready. 

Maybe after I go over my list with him he will be.

"I'm merely asking you to try out this meditation audio program with me," Sylvester picks back up where he left off. "We don't have to do the entire thing. We only need to follow the instructions until we're relaxed."

Happy enters the garage next with a solar panel in her arms. She continues walking to her work station, not even bothering to look at us as she places the panel against the wall. Toby looks suddenly uneasy, especially with the lack of greeting.

"I think we should try it," I tell Toby as I look at him. "After all, it can't possibly cause more stress. Can it?"

 

We follow illogical prompts. Toby points out the first flaw, I the second, then even Sylvester can't hold back from pointing out our 'instructors' mistakes.

During the 'relaxation', I periodically check Toby for visual signs of discomfort. Since beginning the audio, he has kept his eyes closed and tried to force his body to relax. I am actually beginning to wonder if it's working on him when Cabe walks in. As he talks with Happy, tension returns to Toby's shoulders. It's then that I realize my lover is worried about his ex spilling out the current secret of our relationship. I add to my pros list: The sooner we tell the others, the less stressed out we will be over them finding out.

Paige and Tim enter next, talking about trivial things. Sylvester has given up on trying to relax and walks over to his area in a frustrated huff. With everyone distracted, I decide to walk into the side room where my whiteboard is. Toby follows me.

"Were you seriously going to abandon me there?" he asks me with a small strain to his voice. "What if Happy or Paige spilled the beans on us? Do you want me to have to deal with that alone?"

"I don't understand how the waste of food is attached to our problem, but I do know that I would never abandon you, Toby. If you had not followed me, I would have returned to the room to ask you to come here with me." All of that is true, although I know 'spill the beans' is just a turn of phrase for confessing to a secret.

"What are we even doing here?" Toby asks as he settles in the chair near the whiteboard.

I'm glad he asked and I tell him as much as I grab a marker.

"As you requested, I've been compiling a list of reasons why we should tell the team about our relationship," I begin as I write the words 'Pros' and 'Cons' in two separate columns on the whiteboard.

"Walt, no," Toby jumps up out of his chair to grab my arm before I can start writing on the list. "Anyone could walk in and see this. They'll know without us having to tell them."

I decide to start with the last adage to my list, "Pro one: The sooner we tell the others, the less stressed we will be over them finding out."

"Or we'll be monumentally more messed up because they'll be second guessing us and staring and who knows what else!" Toby argues with a hiss to keep his voice down.

"Happy knows because you told her, and Paige has most likely deduced it. What is the point in keeping it from the others?" I question.

"Happy doesn't know," Toby says, looking away. 

"But you went to her apartment after I confessed to you," I remind him. "She was looking out her window when I came to get you. How can she not know?"

"Come on, Walter, we weren't shouting," Toby rolls his eyes. "And I didn't go there to talk about my new relationship with you, I went there to talk about what I did to mess up the one with her."

An unpleasant realization hits me and I voice it, "Is that why you don't want to tell the others? You're not interested in having a relationship with me, you're just biding time until Happy gets a divorce? Using me to distract yourself from her?"

"No," Toby says firmly, his eyes locked on mine. "No matter how messed up I am, Walt, I'd never do that to you."

"Then why would there be a need to speak to Happy about a relationship that has ended?" I question, hurt and anger fighting inside me as I find myself glaring at my lover.

"Because I didn't want to mess this one up too!" Toby nearly shouts. He puts a hand to his mouth as he takes a step away. Dropping the hand to his hip, he turns to me. "You were my best friend before you-" he clears his throat. "Before this happened. Walter, you saved my life and for that I will forever owe you." He shrugs as he shakes his head. "Everything I touch falls apart eventually. I was hoping talking to Happy would help me prevent that from happening with you."

My relief is short lived as concern for my lover overtakes it. I take back those steps Toby put between us and wrap him up in my arms.

"It takes two to make things fall apart," I tell him. "Toby, we're in this together. You and I. Nothing else can dictate how things will turn out for us. Not our past. Not the people around us. We decide what happens between us."

Toby huffs a laugh as he pushes me back to look into my eyes.

"And if I keep playing the reluctant card with a side of wayward princess?" he asks me.

"Then I will receive sainthood for the patience I will show you," I return with a small smile for him.

Paige clears her throat and we turn to her.

"Elia is here," she tells us, her cheeks slightly pink. Was she blushing? "I think he has a job for us."

"We'll be right down," I tell her, then add, "Thank you, Paige."

"Ahuh," she nods, then quickly turns to leave the room.

"She definitely knows," Toby sighs.

"Then it won't matter if I do this," I say, pulling him towards me for a kiss. I keep it soft and tender, a comforting action. 

I step back as I pull away from the kiss.

"When we're through with this job, we can talk again," I tell Toby.

"Yeah," he smiles. "I'll even let you finish your lists."

One more step forwards for us.

 

Elia made -correction, tried to make- a larger version of my rocket. The numbers are wrong. Someone messed up and it's up to us to figure out how badly and how we can fix it.

 

Space has always intrigued me. Ever since I was a boy, my mind has always strayed to the stars. 

Toby's eyes remind me of stars some times. The way they light up or shine with his passion. He has a gift I do not, the ability to freely express what he's feeling. Perhaps, if I had such a talent, I would be able to convince him to confess to the others faster.

Useless speculation. Toby will come around in his own time. I will not force it. I already have what matters to me, what's important. I have Toby.

\- -

In the rocket with Happy, we diagnose the misstep by Elia's men. Happy leaves while I begin my work on it. Paige and Tim decide that is the appropriate time to talk about one of their dates and I roll my eyes at the lack of professionalism from them. I'm half tempted to pull out my ear piece and turn off the rocket's communicator, but I resist the childish action. I am not romantically interested in Paige, after all, and it would cut me off from talking to Toby.

A storm arises and the team warns me to get out.

"On my way," it say as I pull my hands out of the console I was working on. I grab up the backpack and head to the door, but a crash sends me to the ground and away from it.

 

Lightning has struck. The rocket is launching and there is no time for me to escape. I close the hatch against Toby's shouts for me to get out of there instead. I strap myself in and ready myself for the unpleasant feeling I know is coming.

 

The rocket launches. It's a struggle to get to the right commands and even then, the damage is too great for me to abort. The parachutes have malfunctioned and now I'm floating above the Earth without any communication with the others. 

I have to get back. I haven't even had the privilege to announce my relationship with the entire team yet. I can't leave Toby alone to assume this is somehow his fault.  
But there's nothing I can do on my end.

 

Communications come back online with Toby's worried voice calling out my name.

"I'm fine," I assure my lover before we start talking about my situation. 

Then I hear it. A clanging noise from inside the rocket with me and I unbuckle to see what it is.

I open the hatch in the floor and my heart leaps at the sight of my lover.

"Toby," I smile as I offer a hand to bring the man out of the hatch. "Why didn't you tell me you were here? Were you that worried about me?"

"I'm not there, Walter," Toby tells me with his winning smile.

"Oh, I get it," I wink at him. "So you're not a stowaway who was so worried about whether Happy would confront me while we were alone that you managed to get here without the others noticing."

"You're hallucinating me," Toby adds with a shrug. "But that's fine. Since when has our relationship bordered on anything normal?"

"Our relationship?" I repeat. "Toby, are you sure you want to talk about that? Here? Now? What about the others? I thought you were worried about them."

"Walter, I am not talking to you, this is all in your head," Toby says as he removes his hat and tosses it away. "You're mind is lacking vital oxygen. You need to keep it together."

"I am perfectly composed, Toby," I assure him. "Since we're alone, perhaps we could go over my pros and cons list now? I know you'll be ready once you hear me out fully."

"Come on, Walter," my lover says as he moves to sit on a couch. "Don't do this to me."

"You may be worried about what will happen, but I'm not," I say as I stand in front of him. "You're my whole world, Toby. I'm just a moon that orbits around you."

Toby tilts his head, his eyes dilating as he looks me over.

"Prove it to me," he says in a low voice.

I move over to sit beside him on the couch. I put my hands on either side of his face as I pull him in for a brief kiss before starting on my list.

"If we come out to the others, there will be a feeling of freedom to show affection."

"Walter," Toby starts but it doesn't stop me.

"If we come out to the others, I can proudly introduce you as my-"

"Walter!" Toby shouts, and the worry in it is what silences me.

"You should at least hear me out all the way before objecting, Toby," I point out. "How will you react if it comes out during a job?"

"It already has," Toby grumbles as he relaxes back on the couch. "Walter, I want to hear the rest, really I do."

"Then allow me to pick up where I left off-"

"But," my lover interrupts again. "I need you to do something for me first. One little favor, and I'll listen to everything you have to say."

If it's reasonable, I don't see why not, so I nod to my lover as I say, "Very well."

"Do you see that big blue lever?" he asks, looking down at his hand.

"You mean your hand?" I clarify.

"No, the big blue lever," Toby reiterates with a wiggle of his fingers.

"Toby," I smile at his joke. "It's just your hand."

"Fine! Yes, my hand. Can you grab it?"

What an interesting question.

"Of course I can, Toby," I assure him. "Holding hands is yet another privilege to coming out to the others. Though, it could be categorized with our freedom to show affection."

"Just take my hand and pull already!" 

To amuse my lover, I do as he asks.

Toby's hand feels strange in mine. I can't quite figure out why and as my mind sluggishly tries to work out the solution, the world fades to darkness.

\- -

I come into consciousness with a pounding headache, wind flowing all over my body, and the feeling of falling. When I open my eyes and see clouds, I realize I am literally falling.

To my death.

It's a miracle I can hear my team to discuss my rescue rescue. 

 

Plan A is Cabe coming towards me to save me with his parachute. We reach out to each other. I grab hold of his arm as he does the same with mine, but we're going too fast. The trajectory is all wrong and we slip away from each other again.

 

I keep falling.

Falling to an end where I will no longer be able to see Toby. An end where I will never again hold him in my arms. Feel his lips on mine. Hear his voice calling out my name.

"WALTER!"

I re-open my eyes, wondering when I closed them. No. I will not give up. I curse my own name for wasting the seconds to allow such pitiful thoughts.

Together, we discover a way to save me. Toby isn't happy with it, not one is happy with it, but it has a chance and that's better than what I have now.

 

"Toby," I say as I follow my lover's directions on how to hold my body before I hit the water. "In case this doesn't work. I have to say something."

"No, we are not going to be that kind of couple," Toby scolds me.

"I love you Toby Curtis," I confess, not caring if the others hear. I'll apologize for it after I survive. "I always have and I always will."

I hit the water before there can be a reply.

My world is slammed back into darkness. 

\- -

My second return to consciousness is more stable. I still fight a headache but it's less severe, more like a background annoyance. I'm lying down on a solid surface, by body covered, and my left hand is especially warm.

I opens my eyes to the blurred world that slowly sharpens into focus as I turn my head towards my warmer hand.

Toby is there. He's supporting his head with one hand while he sleeps sitting up in a chair. All the while holding my hand. 

 

I give our joined hands a squeeze and smile when it startles my lover into wakefulness.

"Walter," Toby gets out of his chair to look over the machines I'm hooked to before putting a hand to my neck to check my pulse. I allow him to fret, patient as I have to be with him, until he lets out a sigh of relief, his worry abated as he looks down at me.

"I'm sorry-" my voice croaks and I frown as my throat sticks together. Toby quickly pours me a drink of water that I take with a grateful smile.

"You do not get to apologize to me, Walter O'Brien," Toby tells me as he takes a seat on the edge of my bed. "I'm the one who has gone through the existential crisis that's left me with a very important realization that I should be apologizing to you for."

I raise an eyebrow to silently prompt my lover to continue.

"You..." Toby lets out a breath as he smiles. "You are amazing. Since the start of this relationship, and yes, I'm finally ready to call it that confidently, you," he puts his hand on my knee. "You have been more emotionally stable than I have ever seen you. You haven't pushed, haven't tried to get your way like a child, you've just been saintly waiting."

Toby wipes at his eyes and I belatedly realize that they're wetter than normal.

"I can't believe it took until my boyfriend was shot into the atmosphere for me to get my head wrapped around the fact that I'm in love with you," Toby tells me, and suddenly, there is no pain. Though the swelling in my throat has increased.

I finish off the water and drop the empty cup on my bed so that I can reach out and take Toby's hand in mine. He scoots closer on the bed, so I take advantage of the new position to pull him in for a kiss.

Toby surges a little towards me, pushing me back against the pillow as he deepens the kiss. My heart monitor blares and Toby pulls back just as two nurses rush in, followed by Cabe and the others.

"My go-" Cabe's eyes widen. "Were you two about to do it in a hospital?"

"Ew," Happy offers with a grimace that rivals Sylvester's.

"I think Walter just got excited after waking up," Paige sways the group's focus away from the possible negative spiral it could have taken. I will always appreciate her ability to do that.

After checking me over, the nurses leave. Tim excuses himself from us with a half hearted lie about something I ignore, but he has the decency to close the door to my private room. So he at least has a decent sense of common logic going for him.

"Guys," Toby starts before I can. "Even though most, or probably all, of you have figured this out already..."

He pauses, his subconscious most likely trying to back peddle with his fears of rejection.

"Toby and I are in a relationship," I say the last word directly to my lover, giving his hand a squeeze for comfort and support. "We've been trying to discuss the best time and way to convey this to you, but, due to recent events, I figured now and here were as good a time as any."

After all, how could they ignore my confession of love towards Toby?

"We heard what you said in the rocket, Walter," Cabe tells me. "Even without the 'I love Toby' part, it's not like you could've kept it a secret after that."

"What did I say in the rocket?" I ask, because I have no idea what Cabe is talking about. Everything after the rocket took off is a blank in my mind. Hopefully, I didn't embarrass Toby or myself too much.

"It's nothing worth straining that big 'ole brilliant brain of yours," Toby assures me. "The important thing to focus on now is getting you well enough to bring you home."

"My injuries are minor, a few fractured ribs at worst, I do not see why we can't go home within the hour," I tell him, though I know whatever my opinion is will be trumped by my doctor lover.

"You are staying overnight for observation, then you get to go home," Toby says, and I'm not surprised. 

"I've already cleared it with the hospital for Toby to stay here with you," Cabe speaks up.

"Is there anything we can get you?" Paige asks. "Any special food? Something to drink?"

"I can get him anything he needs," Toby answers for me.

"Hey, dingbat," Happy turns to him. "You can't stay constantly by his side and run errands at the same time. You two might be a couple now, but Walter's still our friend."

"It's okay, I'm fine," I assure them. Happy's sudden hostility is most likely a result of her jealousy. Being suspicious of a relationship you can no longer have is easier to control than being confronted head on with said relationship being enjoyed by another. Even though I do not appreciate Happy getting angry at Toby, I will allow it to pass without comment since she is clearly still grieving over her loss.

"Why don't we give the love birds back their privacy," Cabe orders more than suggests as he herds the rest of the team back out of my room.

As the door closes behind them, I turn my focus towards Toby.

"It's a shame these heart monitors are so sensitive," I remark. "I was feeling much better before they called unnecessary attention."

"I'm sure this is you leading me into the convincing speech where I either unplug the machine or you recalibrate it," Toby laughs at the end as he shakes his head. "But no," he looks pointedly at me. "We're not doing that. You want special 'Toby Time' you gotta earn it by getting better."

"I nearly died today, Toby," I realize using my near-death situation is a crass thing to do, but at the moment I can't get enough of Toby and he's being stubborn. Saintly behavior is difficult to maintain.

"I know," Toby sobers as he looks down our hands. "When Tim pushed that button to jettison you out of that rocket, I could've sworn my heart stopped beating."

Ah. So that's how I ended up falling through the skies. I had wondered what had happened, but didn't deign to stop my other thoughts long enough to figure it out.

"Lay with me," I ask my lover softly.

"Walt, we can't-"

"Not like that," I tell him as I pull my hand away. My body is heavier than it should be and I'm weaker than I feel, but I manage to push myself over enough for Toby to fit beside me.

"Oh," Toby understands without a repeat of the request. He kicks off his shoes before lifting the sheets and sliding underneath them with me. He turns his body sideways to give me more room as I remain on my back. His body is stiff as he tries to huddle himself beside be, almost trying not to touch me.

That's not the point, the silly man.

I wrap my arm around and behind Toby's back to prod him closer. I ease his head onto my chest and lightly hit as far down his back as I can reach so that the rest of him follows. 

Toby shuffles slightly, getting the silent message to get comfortable, then he melts into my arms and I can finally rest my arm on top of him as I enjoy the very feel of my lover beside me.

\---

Elia sends a car to pick Toby and myself from the hospital and bring us home.

The team is there to initially welcome me home. Sylvester tied a single "Get Well Soon!" balloon to the bottom of the stairwell that led to my apartment. Paige made me a meal that I could reheat and Ralph brought me a list of websites he discovered with theoretical formulas I might want to look over while I was imprisoned with bed rest. Happy stood absolutely silent, but offered me a small smile when I locked eyes with her. Tim was blissfully absent. Cabe helped me up the stairs, then ordered me to listen to Toby and not try anything 'if I knew what was good for me', before taking Toby aside while the others fretted over me for a bit longer.

After assuring everyone I was fine and feigning the need for sleep, they gave their final farewells and good will wishes as they filed out of my bedroom.

It's another five minutes after that before Toby returns to my room, looking somewhat worried.

"Walter," my lover says my name carefully as he moves to sit beside me on my bed.

I move to sit up, but he lifts his hands for me to stay, so I do.

"If you ever decide to dump this wreck of a man," Toby resumes with clear uneasiness. "Please, make a very large spectacle about how it's your fault that it didn't work out or sing my praises till the cows come home."

"Why would I ever want to break up with you when we just officially got together?" I ask as the confusion mounts.

"It's not like I want it but," Toby sighs as he runs a hand through his hair, knocking off his hat as he does so. He ignores it as he looks to me. "Cabe just gave me the shovel talk, and let's just say..." He grimaces with a pause. "Well, if things don't work out, I may need to move to outer space. Permanently."

"Then let's make sure things work out," I reply, reaching up to grab him by the shirt. I'm feeling suddenly tired and can't pull as hard as I want to, but my lover comes towards me without much effort and we both close our eyes as we kiss.

Toby pulls away to rest his forehead against mine. 

"I love you, Walter O'Brien," he whispers to me. 

I kiss him again as my heart feels like it's doing a small freefall inside my chest.

"Lay with me," I ask him.

Toby shifts to get into the bed on the other side. There's much more room in my bed than there was at the hospital, and yet we find ourselves back in the same position we did when we were there.

 

That night, I dream of feeding Toby baked Alaska while we sit atop the Eiffel Tower on the moon.

\---

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's a bit of a step backwards for Toby, but things will continue to get better now since everyone knows about him and Walter.  
> \--- - --- -- --- - ---  
> *I am legally inclined to state I own nothing.*


End file.
